Human Nutrition Research Center Research Articles

Evidence-Based Nutrition-Managing Expectations

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts. Joseph Lau, MD, Tufts Evidence-Based Practice Center, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. Correspondence: Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Tufts University, 711 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111 ([email protected]).

The use of a commercial vegetable juice as a practical means to increase vegetable intake: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundRecommendations for daily dietary vegetable intake were increased in the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines as consumption of a diet rich in vegetables has been associated with lower risk of certain chronic health disorders including cardiovascular disease. However, vegetable consumption in the United States has declined over the past decade; consequently, the gap between dietary recommendations and vegetable intake is widening. The primary aim of this study is to determine if drinking vegetable juice is a practical way to help meet daily dietary recommendations for vegetable intake consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. The secondary aim is to assess the effect of a vegetable juice on measures of cardiovascular health.MethodsWe conducted a 12-week, randomized, controlled, parallel-arm study consisting of 3 groups of free-living, healthy volunteers who participated in study visits at the Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis. All subjects received education on the DASH diet and 0, 8 or 16 fluid ounces of vegetable juice daily. Assessments were completed of daily vegetable servings before and after incorporation of vegetable juice and cardiovascular health parameters including blood pressure.ResultsWithout the juice, vegetable intake in all groups was lower than the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and DASH diet recommendations. The consumption of the vegetable juice helped participants reach recommended intake. In general, parameters associated with cardiovascular health did not change over time. However, in the vegetable juice intervention groups, subjects who were pre-hypertensive at the start of the study showed a significant decrease in blood pressure during the 12-week intervention period.ConclusionIncluding 1-2 cups of vegetable juice daily was an effective and acceptable way for healthy adults to close the dietary vegetable gap. Increase in daily vegetable intake was associated with a reduction in blood pressure in subjects who were pre-hypertensive at the start of the trial.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT01161706

Determining retinol and 3‐hydroxy‐retinol concentrations in fish liver and fish liver oils

Fish, and especially fish liver oils, are known as excellent sources of vitamin A (VA). While it has long been recognized that fish livers contain VA in forms of retinol (ROH) and retinal (RA), some fish synthesize and use a VA‐like product (3‐hydroxy‐retinol; 3OHVA). Despite its possible presence, previous measurements of 3OHVA concentrations in fish liver are rare, and most of the data available is limited to fresh water species from India and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding North American native fish sources of 3OHVA, a nutrient with potential health benefits. We have developed a reversed‐phase HPLC method for analyzing VA and 3OHVA in fish liver and fish liver oils. The method is a YMC Carotenoid column, 25cm, C‐18 gradient method varying from 100% acetonitrile to 80:20 acetonitrile:water using a diode array detector. Reproducibility ranged from 3–5% 3OHVA, 2–14% ROH, and 4–5% RA. Retinoid concentrations ranged widely, from <1–53 ug/g 3OHVA, 6–381 ug/g ROH, and 19–1794 ug/Kg RA. Tilapia, silver carp, catfish, and rainbow trout had varying amounts of 3OHVA, but it was not detected in the bass or steelhead. All fish contained ROH and RA.Western Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA, supported this research.

Vitamin K Content of Hispanic Foods

To provide a food composition database for nutrition studies of Hispanics—the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States—NDL initiated an increase in the number of Hispanic foods in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. In the first collections, samples of 21 foods were obtained from four Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS) locations (Bronx, Miami, San Diego, and Chicago) plus the study diet center (Minneapolis). In 2009, a sampling plan with 12 locations, based on the Hispanic population of the U.S., was developed. Foods were identified from focus groups conducted with first generation immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, plus suggestions from the HCHS Diet Committee. Selected foods (19) are purchased from restaurants and markets in the 12 locations; composited at Virginia Tech and sent to the Vitamin K Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging for analysis. Phylloquinone content of the food samples was determined by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Phylloquinone values for plantain chips (27 mcg/100g) were higher than potato chips (22 mcg/100 g). Other foods, like empanadas, showed variation (2–13 mcg/100 g). These data will facilitate assessing the vitamin K status of Latinos in large national studies such as the HCHS and NHANES. Funding: USDA and NIH, Agreement No. Y1CN5010.

Foreword

Foreword Get access Simin Nibkin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph D Simin Nibkin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph D Professor of Nutrition at the Tufts University School of Nutrition and Chief of the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. With Dr. Marc Weksler, she has acted as Guest Scientific Editor of this supplement. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nutrition Reviews, Volume 53, Issue 4, April 1995, Pages S1–S2, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1995.tb01509.x Published: 01 April 1995

W.O. Atwater memorial lecture. Zinc: essentiality for brain development and function.

Journal Article Zinc: Essentiality for Brain Development and Function Get access Harold H. Sandstead, M.D. Harold H. Sandstead, M.D. USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nutrition Reviews, Volume 43, Issue 5, May 1985, Pages 129–137, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1985.tb06889.x Published: 01 May 1985

Nutrition in the elderly.

Journal Article Nutrition in the Elderly Get access Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D. Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D. Director of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and Professor of Physiology, Medicine, and Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nutrition Reviews, Volume 50, Issue 12, December 1992, Pages 349–350, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1992.tb02476.x Published: 01 December 1992

CD11d expression is dramatically increased in white adipose tissue of obese rodents

Macrophages (MΦ) infiltrate white adipose tissue (WAT) with increasing adiposity and are primarily localized to necrotic adipocytes. Mechanisms underlying WAT MΦ recruitment, tissue migration/retention, and function in obese animals is unclear. Integrins are cell adhesion proteins critical for leukocyte extravasation, migration, and phagocytosis. CD11d encodes the α‐subunit of the integrin αDβ2 and is expressed predominantly on monocytes/MΦ; however, its role in systemic and WAT inflammation is poorly understood. We have demonstrated for the first time that CD11d expression in retroperitoneal (RP) WAT is increased dramatically (by >200 fold) in obese female Zucker rats (n=7) compared to lean controls (n=9), further confirmed in a polygenic obese SD male rat model (~70 fold). To assess whether this upregulation in WAT is the result of obesity‐induced inflammation or generalized inflammation outside the context of obesity, we measured CD11d expression in RP WAT of non‐obese mice administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 0.5 mg/kg (5 day; n=5) vs. vehicle‐treated controls. CD11d expression was increased by LPS treatment, but the fold increase (~3.6 fold) was far less than observed in obesity. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that CD11d plays a critical role in WAT MΦ migration, tissue retention, and or phagocytosis of cellular debris and lipid from necrotic adipocytes in obesity.Grant Funding SourceWestern Human Nutrition Research Center

The Origin and Evolution of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, 1970–901–4

In the early 1960s William E. Cornatzer, MD, PhD suggested the need for increased USDA research concerning human nutrition and creation of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Laboratory (later the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center). He shared ideas with Senator Milton R. Young of North Dakota who requested that the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) prepare a proposal for such a program. In 1963 Senator Young submitted the proposal that included construction of regional centers to the U.S. Senate. The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Laboratory began operation in 1970. The attentions of Senator Young, Representative/Senator Mark Andrews, and Senator Quentin Burdick concerning the budgetary and construction needs facilitated development of the Center from its inception through 1990. Success of the enterprise rests on the creativity, industry, and other qualities of the Center’s scientists and support staff, and collaborators at cooperating institutions. Their work resulted in a greater understanding of trace element nutrition and it role in human health.

History of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

History of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

Immunology: Functions to Assess Nutrient Requirements

In July 1994, the U.S.D.A. Western Human Nutrition Research Center and the University of California at Davis co-sponsored a symposium on “New Approaches to Define Nutrient Requirements.” A major objective of the symposium was to define functional parameters of human health which could be used in determining future recommended dietary allowances (RDA). This paper reviews the compelling evidence that certain vitamins and other micronutrients given in levels above the current RDA have critical, beneficial effects on human immune responses. Thus, the argument is made that immune function should be considered in the development of the next national nutrition recommendations.

Getting Started on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010

Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, is professor of medicine and community health at Tufts Medical School and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts and a Senior Scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts. She is also the editor of Nutrition Today. Correspondence: Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, ([email protected]).

Vitamin D in foods: development of the US Department of Agriculture database

Specific data on vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are needed to enable the assessment of vitamin D dietary intake. These forms of the vitamin can occur in foods, both naturally or from fortification. The Nutrient Data Laboratory at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture collaborated with vitamin D experts in an analytic project with 2 major goals: 1) to review and develop methods for analyzing a variety of food items for vitamin D content and 2) to sample and analyze foods considered to be major contributors of vitamin D. During 2007, analysts from up to 6 laboratories compared methods, made modifications in some cases, and validated results with quality-control samples of similar food types in preparation for the analysis of sampled foods. The Nutrient Data Laboratory has prioritized foods for analysis and has identified the following as important contributors of vitamin D: finfish and shellfish, naturally occurring sources, and fortified foods such as milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, breakfast cereals, American cheese, margarines, and yogurt. A nationwide multistage sampling plan was designed and conducted to select and procure representative sample units of all such foods. After analysis of these food samples and review of the results, acceptable values for vitamin D2 and D3 will be disseminated in the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (Internet: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata).

Editorial

aNutrition and Genomics Laboratory, JM-USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA bDepartment of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital, and Center for Molecular Epidemiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore Correspondence to Jose M. Ordovas, JM-USDA-HNRCA at Tufts University, 711 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111, USA Tel: +1 617 556 3102; fax: +1 617 556-3211; e-mail: [email protected]

Whole body Bi‐214 and bedroom radon concentration in Multiple Sclerosis

Environmental radon may be an induction factor of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to its high fat solubility and emission of high energy alpha particles. In this study we analyzed the bedroom home ambient air radon (222Rn) and whole body (WB) retention of a radon daughter (214Bi) from each subject's bedroom. The 15 MS subjects came through the Grand Forks MS Support Group, and 15 subjects with no apparent health problems (H) were recruited locally. The WB 214Bi (Bq/m3) was assessed by WB counting and the 222Rn was measured with charcoal canisters. The 222Rn (Bq/m3) range (mean ± SD) was 307 ± 411 in the bedrooms of MS subject vs. 126 ± 122 of the H subjects, respectively; the 214Bi (Bq) was 333 ± 312 in the MS subjects, vs. 243 ± 144 in the H subjects, respectively. Our preliminary data indicate that the bedroom 222Rn exposure and WB214Bi retention are higher in the MS than H subjects. The study was approved by the local IRB and conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The work was sponsored in part by the USDA ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center and the University of North Dakota Public Scholarship Fund.

Reduced Sun Exposure Does Not Explain the Inverse Association of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D with Percent Body Fat in Older Adults

Greater adiposity is associated with lower blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. The extent to which this results from reduced sun exposure among heavier individuals is unknown. This analysis was conducted to determine whether sun exposure habits differ according to percent body fat (%FAT) in older adults and to what extent they explain the inverse association of adiposity with 25(OH)D in that population. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized trial of calcium and vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone loss. The study was performed at the Metabolic Research Unit at the Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. A total of 381 generally healthy male and female volunteers age 65 and older participated in the study. Exclusion criteria included vitamin D and calcium supplement use, and medical conditions and medications known to affect bone metabolism. There were no interventions. Measurements for this analysis were made before participants received trial supplements. Plasma 25(OH)D, an indicator of vitamin D status, was measured. Sunscreen use, hours spent outside per week, and percent of skin exposed did not differ across quartiles of %FAT (P > 0.43). 25(OH)D decreased across %FAT quartiles (P < 0.05) and was about 20% lower in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of %FAT after adjustments for age, sex, season, and vitamin D intake. Further adjustment for sun exposure habits had little effect on estimates of 25(OH)D. In older adults, sun exposure habits do not vary according to adiposity and do not appear to explain lower 25(OH)D concentrations with increasing adiposity.

Commentary: Dietary patterns in transition can inform health risk, but detailed assessments are needed to guide recommendations

Commentary: Dietary patterns in transition can inform health risk, but detailed assessments are needed to guide recommendations

SEASONALITY OF 214Bi ACTIVITY IN THE HUMAN BODY AND OF 222Rn CONCENTRATION IN HOME AMBIENT AIR

We studied the seasonal variation of the environmental radon progeny (214)Bi activity in the whole bodies (WB) of women and men participating in community-based studies at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center (GFHNRC), the (214)Bi background activity of the GFHNRC whole body counter (WBC) steel room, and ambient air (222)Rn concentration in the homes of Grand Forks residents, over the 1988-2004 time period. In this cross-sectional epidemiological study, (214)Bi activity in women and men, in the WBC steel room, and (222)Rn concentration in resident homes fluctuated such that the highest values were observed in winter and the lowest in summer, respectively. (214)Bi activity in the WB of human subjects was higher in women who have more (214)Bi activity per unit mass than men. Apart from their common seasonal pattern, human WB (214)Bi activity (lnBq) was comparatively higher than that for the ambient air (222)Rn activity in a human-equivalent volume of 72 L.

Measures of adiposity and body fat distribution in relation to serum folate levels in postmenopausal women in a feeding study.

To assess the associations between serum folate concentration and measures of adiposity in postmenopausal women. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis within the control segment of a randomized, crossover trial in which postmenopausal women (n=51) consumed 0 g (control), 15 g (one drink) and 30 g (two drinks) alcohol (ethanol)/day for 8 weeks as part of a controlled diet. Subjects in one treatment arm were crossed-over to another arm after a 2- to 5-week washout period. Body mass index (BMI) was measured, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan administered to the women during the control (0 g alcohol) treatment, and a blood sample from this group was collected at baseline and week 8 of each diet period and analyzed for folate, B12, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid. This study was conducted at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, MD, USA. In multivariate analysis, women who were overweight had a 12% lower, and obese women had a 22% lower serum folate concentrations compared to normal weight women (P-trend=0.02). Vitamin B12 also decreased with increasing BMI (P-trend=0.08). Increased BMI, percent body fat, and absolute amounts of central and peripheral fat were all significantly associated with decreased serum folate, but were unrelated to serum B12, homocysteine or methylmalonic acid. Our data show that adiposity is associated with lower serum folate levels in postmenopausal women. With obesity at epidemic proportions, these data, if confirmed by prospective or randomized controlled studies, have important public health implications.

RESPONSE

Dear Editor-in-Chief: We appreciate Folland and William‘s comments regarding our recent paper (1). They suggest our method of calculating the central activation ratio (CAR) may have overestimated muscle activation. Multiple twitch interpolation (ITT) methodologies have been used to quantify activation during voluntary actions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages (2). They suggest, given our use of submaximal stimulation, the use of a different methodology to assess muscle activation-the ratio of the superimposed tetanus to passive tetanus. We agree that assessing muscle activation in this manner would also be appropriate. Applying this ratio to our data lowers average muscle activation from 92 ± 7 to 87 ± 13% (as indicated by Folland and Williams) and from 96 ± 4 to 89 ± 11% in the right and left thighs, respectively. This reduces the difference in muscle activation between ITT and the T2 MRI assessment employed in our study from 17 to 12% in the right thigh and from 22 to 15% in the left thigh. The difference in activation between methodologies, while remaining statistically different in the left thigh (P = 0.02), no longer reaches statistical significance in the right (P = 0.07). The 12% difference in muscle activation in the right thigh still represents a large effect (Cohen‘s D = 0.89) and suggests that the comparison was underpowered, particularly in light of the data from the left thigh. Indeed, when the data from the right and left thigh are pooled, doubling the sample size, the resultant 13% difference between the methods is significant (P = 0.002). We believe a revision of the data does not alter the conclusions of our recent study (1)-the ITT and T2 MRI methods yield markedly different values for muscle activation. It remains unclear whether the MRI method can detect differences in activation between clinical and healthy populations, as well as changes in voluntary activation that may occur with resistance training. However, given the lack of a gold-standard measurement of muscle activation, and the experimental and clinical importance of accurately assessing muscle activation, we hope the use of T2 MRI will be further explored in future studies. Tracee Kendall Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging Tufts University Boston, MA Christopher D. Black Christopher P. Elder Department of Kinesiology The University of Georgia Athens, GA DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31804a8049